


Brotherly Love

by jhoom



Category: Supernatural
Genre: College!AU, M/M, chuck/becky as cas' parents, gabriel is cas' half brother, lots of random cas pairings mentioned in passing, soulmate!AU, super awkward kissing between sam and cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9875687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhoom/pseuds/jhoom
Summary: You're born with your soulmate's last name on your wrist.  All his life, Castiel's waited to finally get to meet his Winchester soulmate.  So when he starts college and meets Sam with the name Novak on his wrist, it seems like a no brainer.  Even if all Castiel ever feels towards Sam is friendship.  The soulmate marks are never wrong, after all, so maybe they should just try harder.... Of course, there are other Novaks and Winchesters out there.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so i saw [this post](http://jhoomwrites.tumblr.com/private/157324012477/tumblr_oi32ns4odl1vc19oq) on tumblr and couldn't resist
> 
> this is my first time writing anything even remotely sastiel (even though end game isn't sastiel) and only my second time dabbling into sabriel (even if it's really just a background pairing here) so please be gentle :)
> 
> come visit me on tumblr @[jhoomwrites](http://jhoomwrites.tumblr.com) lately i haven't been super active on ao3 because of the bangs i'm working on (seriously though, i've written a shit ton that you guys will get to read in a few months... these are not short fics i've been doing), but i do try to post a short [emoji ficlet](http://jhoomwrites.tumblr.com/post/152571331381/masterpost-emoji-ficlets) on tumblr every day - check those out if you'd like to see what i've been up to lately

Castiel had anticipated meeting his soulmate since he was first able to read the name on his right wrist.   _Winchester_ read the name in his own handwriting.  Somewhere out there, his last name was on someone else’s wrist, written in that person’s handwriting.  His parents had sat him down and told him how wonderful it would be once they met, how they’d have an instant connection and even without the names matching, he’d _know_.  His whole childhood, Castiel carried around that sense of certainty.  He was going to meet his soulmate and he’d _know_.  

There were a few times he thought he’d felt the traces of that feeling bubbling up inside.  That certainty that this might be them.  The first time he’d met Meg, he’d toyed with the idea and demanded to know her last names before they went home from school that first day of Kindergarten.  When he’d heard Masters instead of Winchester, he nodded solemnly and made note.  Things were going to be trickier than he thought, if the interest he felt for Meg wasn’t what soulmates were.

As he got older, he refined what he was looking for even more.  Nora wasn’t his soulmate, so the gentle affection he felt for her wasn’t quite right.  Balthazar wasn’t either, so the easy camaraderie they had wasn’t it either.  He’d been attracted to Mick, but by then Castiel hadn’t even bothered to ask for a last name - there was no doubt in his mind that he wasn’t it.  He was confident that what he’d feel would be some combination of all these things: interest, affection, friendship, and attraction all rolled into one.  

He never lost faith that things would work out.  Sure, there were plenty of melodramatic soulmate tales full of miscommunication and years of pining, but life usually wasn’t as cliche as the movies made it seem.  Castiel would meet his soulmate, instantly fall in love, and then live happily ever after.  The only real question was _when_.

His decision to go Stanford was half for the quality of the school, and half of the appeal of getting out of Indiana.  Castiel had been anticipating the move out west all summer, and now that he was finally _here_ he couldn’t help how he fidgeted in line to pick up his orientation packet.  The packet was handed to him by a bored looking upperclassman.  Aside from the packets about the school itself, there was all the necessary information about his dorm assignment.  

_Housing Information for: C. J. Novak_

_Sterling Quad, Room 107_

_Roommate: S. Winchester_

Castiel made it about ten feet before he began to fully process what he was saying.  Roommate.   _Winchester_.  As he’d done many times, he looked at his right wrist and traced the name written there.  It was happening.  It was actually happening.  The rest of the trip over, his heart did strange flops in his chest.  If his parents noticed anything was off, they said nothing.

He hoped to be the first to arrive at their room, to give himself more time to prepare.  What was S Winchester like?  What did that S stand for?  Stephen?  Stanley?  Scott?  Trying to guess was silly - he’d find out soon enough - but it provided him with the necessary distraction as he walked down the hallway with the first box.

The door was ajar and he could hear the sound of shuffling inside.  So this was it.  His ~~roommate~~ _soulmate_ was just a few feet away.  Steeling himself with a deep breath, he shouldered the door open and stepped inside.  

A blond woman and a dark haired man were by the window hanging up a Harry Potter poster while a tall, gangly looking boy told them that the left side was too low down.  From the back, Castiel couldn’t see much beyond his shaggy hair and did he mention the boy was tall?  Castiel had never felt short standing next to his peers, but right now he found himself looking around for a step stool or something.  

“Oh, hello!” Becky called as she pushed past Castiel into the room, dropping a suitcase on the unclaimed bed.  The tall boy froze, very slowly turning around.  Castiel saw his own apprehension mirrored there.  “You must be Cas’ roommate.  Hi, I’m Becky Novak and this is my husband Chuck.”  Chuck nodded, holding awkwardly onto the large box in his hands like a shield.  “Nice to meet you…?”

Castiel watched as the other parents exchanged a knowing look.  Sticking the poster to the wall without a second thought, the woman dusted off her hands before extending one to his parents..  “I’m Mary.  This is my husband John, and this is our boy Sam.”  After the parents all shook hands, she added as an afterthought, “Winchester, by the way.  We’re the Winchesters.”

His father sounded like he was about to choke while his mother’s friendly smile turned absolutely predatory.  “Cas,” she said, winking at her son.  “You didn’t tell us your roommates last name was Winchester.”

“Funny thing is,” John says, gruff voice not quite hiding his own amusement, “Sammy here neglected to mention we were going to be meeting the Novaks today.”

Both boys shrugged.  Oh how he fucking wished he didn’t have to meet his soulmate with an _audience_.  This was just mortifying.  They stood there in silence, staring at the carpet and shifting listlessly on their feet.  Their parents took the hint.  

“You know what,” Mary said while moving to usher her husband out of the room.  “Why don’t we take you guys out for coffee or something while these two get to know each other a bit.  Then we can come back and help you move the rest of his stuff in.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Becky agreed, following right behind.  She stopped in front of Chuck, glaring at him before snatching the box away and dropping it on the floor.  “C’mon honey, let’s go hang out with the future in-laws.”

Castiel was about two seconds away from having a stroke, but luckily he managed to stay upright as their parents shuffled past them.  Chuck pulled the door shut behind them, giving his son a sympathetic smile before disappearing.  When the lock clicked shut behind him, it echoed ominously.

The boys finally braved a glance at each other.  When they saw the matching grimace there, some of the tension broke and they laughed.  

“Okay, that was really awkward.”  The boy reached out a hand.  “I’m Sam, by the way.”

“Castiel.”  Sam’s hand was clammy, but so was his.  They fit nicely together.  Huh.  “Sorry about my mom.”

“No worries, man.  My parents can be just as bad.”  Sam’s smile was shy but friendly, his hazel eyes openly curious as he looked Castiel up and down.  “So uh… I guess you got Winchester on your wrist?”

He shrugged and held up his right hand.  “Guilty.  Novak?”  

Sam pulled back the sleeve of his hoodie to reveal his right wrist.  Sure enough, there was his last name.  “So uh…  How do you want to do this?”

His whole life had been leading up to this moment.  Here was his soulmate, waiting for him to tell him where they should go from here and-

And all Castiel could think was that he was terrified.  

“Slowly?  If that’s alright with you, I mean-”

“No no,” Sam interrupted, hands going up in surrender.  “Slow is good.  Slow is fine.  I don’t… We don’t have to… There’s no reason to rush into things.  We’ve got…”  The rest of our lives?  “... lots of time.”

“Yes.  Lots of time.”

Their parents left them alone for an unreasonably long amount of time, so they figured they’d make the most of it.  They chatted and did the whole getting to know you thing.  The longer the conversation went, the more at ease Castiel felt.  It wasn’t sparks flying or an instant profound bond like he’d perhaps naively believed it would be, but there was already so much that Castiel could see them building off of in the future.  

They affirmed that they should let things progress naturally.  Just because they were soulmates didn’t mean they’d have to get married or declare their undying love right this instant or (and Castiel cringed even thinking about it) have sex with a near stranger.  Instead, they’d make the inevitable transition from roommates to friends to boyfriends whenever it felt right.  

The first part was actually pretty easy.  Sam and Cas did have a lot in common, and their friendship blossomed almost overnight.  They spent most of their free time together, whether it be studying, going to the dining hall together, or simply hanging out.  It was nice and a relief given how much both of them had stressed about being stuck with a roommate that was awful.  

But no matter how comfortable he was with Sam, it never felt like his feelings were progressing.  Well, maybe he should amend that.  Sam was taking up more and more of a place in his heart, but it was a decidedly _unromantic_ place.  Thinking of Sam never made butterflies dance in his stomach, seeing Sam dart out of the bathroom with a towel slung low over his hips never aroused him, and the upcoming winter break didn’t fill him with dread.  He would miss Sam of course, but he wouldn’t be despondent without him.  

Something felt… _off_.

Sam came back from the break with a determined look in his eyes.  “I think we should date.”

Very deliberately, Castiel closed the book he was reading and put it down on his desk so he could give Sam his full attention.  “You think we should date?” he repeated.  

“Yeah.”  He shrugged and wouldn’t meet Cas’ eye.  “It’s just…  We’re soulmates and things have been going well, so maybe we should try it out.  I think maybe we’re both so comfortable with the friend thing we’re starting to get nervous about the dating thing.”

Maybe he was right.  Being friends was simple and not at all scary.  Going out of their comfort zone to push past that friendship into something more was intimidating.  If they got it over with, maybe they’d find out they’ve been missing out all along.

“Sam?”  He waited until Sam actually looked up.  “Are you asking me out on a date?”  His ears went red but he didn’t deny it.  “Sam, I would love to go on a date with you.”

The taller boy let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah?  I’d like that.”

They picked a restaurant not far from campus.  Something nice enough that they needed to dress up for, but not so fancy that they needed actual suits.  A good balance for a couple college kids out on their first date.  Even so, Castiel couldn’t help feeling self-conscious as the hostess took them to their table.  He wondered what she saw when she looked at him.  Did they have the appearance of soulmates?  Boyfriends?  Friends?  Surely no one would make them for friends right now.  The setting was too intimate and their normally relaxed conversation was stilted.

They seemed like such an awkward pair right now: Sam in his blazer that fit just fine before a recent growth spurt, Castiel with his blue tie that still didn’t quite sit right no matter how much he played with the knot.  Sam’s leg kept twitching under the table and his hair was falling into his eyes, but admittedly the display of nerves was quite endearing.  He hoped Sam thought the same about how he kept obsessively straightening the silverware and glasses.

“Whelp, this is a total disaster,” Sam declared after his leg jerked so much the whole table shook, causing one their glasses of water to jump dangerously close to the edge.  “I don’t know what I was thinking with this whole thing-”

“No, Sam, it’s okay.”  After a second of consideration, Castiel reached across the table and placed his hand over Sam’s.  The gesture’s meant to be soothing, but both boys look down at their joined hands like it’s the strangest thing they’ve ever seen.  The contact wasn’t… it wasn’t _bad_ , but it felt forced.  Something was lacking, but Castiel couldn’t pinpoint _what_ exactly was so off about it.  “What really prompted you to ask me out on this date?  You seemed fine to take things slow before.  Did something happen?”

Sam wilted a little but rolled his eyes.  “It’s my brother.  He uh…  Over break, I told him I’d met my soulmate and he was all ‘Why didn’t you bring him home with you?’  And I explained we weren’t dating and I guess… he made me feel like I was being a wimp for not immediately trying to whisk you off your feet or something.  ‘If I met my soulmate, no _way_ I’d have gone so long without at least banging the dude, and you haven’t even _held his hand_?’”  Castiel might not know Sam’s brother at all, but the impression is certainly humorous.  “I guess I got self-conscious and I’m sorry I tried to rush things along.”

Castiel smiled reassuringly.  “It’s alright, Sam.  I can only imagine.  I was lucky my older brother’s overseas right now or I’m sure I would’ve been subjected to similar treatment while at home.”  The server interrupted to drop off some bread, and Cas used it as an opportunity to withdraw his hand.  He could still feel Sam’s warmth, but he noted his fingers didn’t yearn to find their way back to him.  

“So is this date a total bust or do you think we can salvage it?”

“Hmm,” Castiel considered while tearing off a piece of bread.  “Depends.”

“On?”

“If we’re getting dessert.”

Together they decided that they _were_ officially dating (“May as well, right?  Not like I’d date anyone else while…”  Sam had motioned vaguely at Cas).  They had a date night each week and they went through all the usual date activities.  Arcade, movies, bowling, more restaurants.  Castiel certainly enjoyed his time with Sam, but there was still always this sense that they weren’t quite a couple.  They didn’t hold hands or kiss or have really any physical contact, nor did Cas want to.  

It seemed odd, given that Castiel had long dreamed of being intimate with his soulmate (and had experienced several fantasies about various crushes over the years).  Sam had also shared enough of his dating history for Castiel to know that Sam wasn’t disinterested in sex or other forms of physical intimacy.  There was just something about the two of them together that failed to spark any desire at all.

Neither said anything about it.  Castiel was worried about what that might _mean_ , to admit he wasn’t attracted to his soulmate, and Sam probably had the same concerns.  They managed to ignore it until the end of the school year.  Their brothers were set to pick them up in a few days - Gabriel was going to spend some time in California with Cas, and Sam’s brother was driving him back to Kansas - and still they’d done nothing more than hold hands once or twice.  Now the whole summer loomed in front of them.  They’d promised to keep in contact and they were going to be roommates again next fall, but that didn’t stop Cas from slowly freaking out.

One morning while they were packing up, Castiel felt the overwhelming need to _do_ something.  He couldn’t stand the idea of leaving things like this for months on end, with no chance to explore their relationship beyond what they’d already done.  

“I think we should kiss,” he blurt out.  

“Uh huh,” Sam said while packing up some books.  “That sounds- wait, _what_?”  The last few books fell from his hand, landing on his foot and making him yelp in surprise.  

Castiel bent over to pick it up.  He handed the book to a still very flustered Sam.  “I think we should try kissing.  I know we haven’t talked about it much since our first date, but I think maybe if we kissed it would…”  He trailed off, at a loss for what exactly he _thought_ kissing would accomplish.

“Oh…  Like… spark something?”

“Yes!” he said with relief.  

“Okay.  Yeah, that makes sense.”  They stood there, frozen as they stared at each other.  “Should we do it now?”

“Oh.”  This time Castiel was flustered.  He hadn’t really thought beyond _suggesting_ they kiss, and now all he could look at was Sam’s lips.  At least they were nice lips.  He still wasn’t sure he wanted those lips pressed against his, but he’d never know unless he tried.  “Yes, let’s do it now.”

“Yeah.  Yeah let’s kiss.”  They continued to look at each other, eyes flitting down to the other’s lips, for a solid minute before Sam coughed uneasily and started to lean in.  Sam had never seemed so tall as when he had to cross the few inches between them, lips aiming right for Castiel’s and-

And without meaning to, he pulled away at the last second.  Sam’s lips landed on his cheek and Castiel grimaced, embarrassment flushing his cheeks red.  “I’m sorry... “

“No, uh, it’s okay.”  Sam stood back up and shuffled awkwardly on his feet.  “I’m nervous too.  Uh, how ‘bout this time you lead.  That way you can set the pace.”

“This time?” Cas squeaked.  

“Unless you don’t want to!” Sam said hurried, backing up a half step for good measure.  “I mean, I don’t think a kiss on the cheek really counts, but uh, if you wanna call it a day-”

“No, you’re right.”  It took some effort, but he suppressed the urge to cringe.  “Yes, I’ll lead this time.”  

Sam remained completely still, bent over so Castiel could reach him if he went on his tippy toes.  The two closed their eyes, mutually agreeing that it’d be better if they didn’t look this time.  Cas could feel Sam’s breath ghosting along his forehead, could hear his own heart pounding in his ears, could feel the tension in his gut coiling tighter and tighter.  

Without seeing, their lips met.  Castiel’s aim was off, a little off center, so he moved left to compensate at the same time Sam moved the other way.  Grunting in frustration, Sam’s hands came up to hold Castiel in place while he adjusted once again.  Finally in place, they kissed.  Their lips moved, they crowded into each other’s space and…

And nothing.

Castiel had been an understudy in a play his junior year.  On the second night, he’d had to perform because the other student’s car had broken down on the way over.  The part was small but involved a kiss.  On stage.  In front of the entire school and their families and friends and neighbors and god knew who else.  And he’d had to kiss Hannah, whom he barely knew.  It had been completely mechanical, devoid of any real feeling and basically only sufficient enough to pass as a kiss from a distance.  

That kiss had been about a hundred times more enjoyable than this.  This was uncomfortable and weird and Cas suspected this is exactly what it would feel like if he were forced to kiss Gabriel.  Except of course Gabriel would be an ass and try to slip in some tongue just to be funny.  

The idea of Sam deciding to use tongue (as well as the obviously unarousing thoughts of his own _brother_ ) made Castiel jerk away.  He wasn’t sure what kind of face he was making, but Sam’s nose was scrunched up in disapproval and he looked about as unhappy as Castiel was.  Sam opened one eye to peak at Cas and instantly relaxed into a laugh when he saw his discomfort mirrored on Castiel.  

“Okay, so, that was probably the worst kiss I’ve ever had. No offense.”

Castiel huffed in a combination of relief and frustration.  It was over, but things were worse off than before they’d started.  “None taken.  And agreed.”

“Should we try again…?” Sam ventured.  His furrowed brow suggested the last thing he wanted, and Castiel was inclined to agree.

“I’d rather not.”

“Oh thank god.”  Sam collapsed backward onto his bed.  “This isn’t supposed to be so hard, right?  I mean, we’re _soulmates_ , right?  The dating, the kissing, all that’s supposed to fall into place.”

Castiel retreated to his side of the room and sat down with a sigh.  “Yes, that is what they say.”

“What are we going to do?”  The other boy looked as lost and confused as Cas felt, and he wished he had an answer.  A real answer, not more ‘maybe next time’ or ‘later it’ll be better.’  The platitudes had lost all meaning by this point.

“Take the summer as time to reflect.  Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder.  That’s what they say, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”  Sam didn’t sound convinced, but he went back to packing up his things.  Cas wasn’t convinced either, but what alternative was there?

\- - - -

Both Sam and Cas were packed and waiting for their brothers to come pick them up at two.  The silence hung over them all morning and afternoon.  Over the past few days, things had been quiet between them.  Neither knew what to make of the situation, and both hoped the other would be the one to step in and offer support first.  In the end, though, it was easier not to talk about it.  

“I will miss you, Sam,” Castiel said.  “I don’t know what we’re going to do about being soulmates, but I know that you’re my friend and I will miss you over break.”

Sam looked genuinely touched.  “Thanks, man.  I’ll miss you, too.”

Castiel tried not to focus on how unromantic it was to be called “man” by his soulmate.  

The sound of approaching footsteps ended the moment, bringing their attention to the door.  They’d left it open with a post-it on it welcoming their brothers inside.  Castiel could already make out the distinct cadence of Gabriel’s voice, paired with another, deeper one he didn’t recognize.  

“Well hopefully the kiddos are ready to go,” Gabriel said as he pushed open the door.  “I’m _starved_.”  Close on his heels was a taller boy, certainly younger than Gabriel but at least a few years older than Castiel and Sam.  He looked unimpressed with Gabriel, bored expression moving across the room.  His eyes landed on Sam, giving his brother a curt nod and half-smile before they moved on and spotted Castiel.  He seemed about to keep looking around, but did a double take and swallowed hard.

“Holy shit,” Dean said as Gabriel whistled.  In unison, the two brothers said, “Your soulmate’s hot.”  

The outburst startled both Sam and Cas.  Sam’s brother at least looked embarrassed, face coloring and bringing out the freckles peppered across his cheeks.  Gabriel looked completely unrepentant as he raked his eyes over Sam.

“Uh, stop eyeing my brother like he’s a piece of meat.”

“ _Dean_!” Sam hissed but his brother ignored him.

“And right in front of his soulmate, c’mon man, that’s ridiculous.”

Quirking an eyebrow at Dean, Gabriel asked, “Didn’t you just call my baby bro hot?  Glass houses, my friend.”  Dean stared at Gabriel in bewilderment.  “You shouldn’t throw stones?  Pot and kettle both black?  I’m saying you’re being hypocritical.”

Recovering, Dean straightened up to his full height and towered over Gabriel.  Gabriel, for his part, did not look intimidated at all.  “I was paying Sam a compliment for having such a ho- uh, _reasonably attractive_ soulmate.  Good job, there Sammy.”  Sam looked like he wanted to sink into the floor.  Turning his attention back to Gabriel, Dean pointed at him in accusation.  “ _You_ look like you wanna jump his bones.  Not cool.”  A thought seemed to occur to Dean then.  “Wait… are you uh.. are you _also_ a Novak?”

“Yes,” Gabriel answered, drawing out the syllable and looking at Dean like he was particularly slow.  “Cassie’s a Novak and I’m a Novak.  We do in fact have the same last name.  As brothers tend to.”  They watch as Dean grimaced and shifted uncomfortably, absentmindedly tugging at his sleeves.  Gabriel’s mouth contorted a bit.  “Oh shit.  That means you’re a Winchester.”

“As brothers tend to be,” Dean snapped back.  “Sam, help me pack up the car.  We’re gonna vamoose as soon as possible.  Don’t want twinkle toes over here getting any _ideas_.”  When Sam didn’t react, Dean turned to yell at his brother, only to see him staring open mouthed at Gabriel.  “Sam!  Boxes.  Car.   _Now_.”

Embarrassed at being caught, Sam grabbed the nearest box and started to march out the door.  He got about halfway out the door before he realized he had one of Cas’ boxes and came back in to awkwardly hand it off to Castiel.  With deliberate care, he picked up one of his own boxes and basically sprinted out the room.  

“Way to scare the poor kid!” Gabriel chastised, though he looked completely amused.  “Need help packing?  Me and Cassie here don’t have a time table.  Wouldn’t mind showing off my hot bod to a couple _Winchester_ boys while you’re here.”

Dean looked about to object, but probably decided that if he accepted Gabriel’s help, he’d be able to get out of there faster.  “If you want,” he grunted.  Looking helplessly around the room, he shot Castiel a pleading glance that melted Cas’ heart on the spot.  

“These are all Sam’s,” Cas said while picking up the nearest one.  “I’ll help, too.”  

Unlike when Gabriel offered, Dean smiled at Cas.  “Thanks.  I appreciate it.”

Cas did _not_ have butterflies in his stomach.  Nope.  This was a completely normal reaction to have to someone thanking you.  He did not at all want Dean to keep looking at him like that.  

_~~Maybe you were thinking it’s the wrong Winchester.~~ _

The treacherous thought popped up and almost made him stumble down the steps to the curb.  That couldn’t… No.  Sam was his age.  He and Sam got along.  He and Sam had a lot in common and were clearly soulmates.  He and Sam… had absolutely no physical chemistry together.  He and Sam never stared at each other like they _wanted_ each other.  

Maybe he and Sam _weren’t_ soulmates.

Castiel tried to squash the hope.  He didn’t know a thing about Dean except that he was attractive.  Well, okay, there were the stories Sam had told him.  From what he’d gathered, Dean was smart, funny, loyal to a fault, and kind.  But were secondhand accounts and a pretty face (a _very_ pretty face, he corrected himself) enough to ignore months of friendship with Sam?

Friendship.  Months of friendship.

They’d tried dating and it didn’t work.  They were still trying it, technically, but it didn’t _feel_ like dating.  It felt like hanging out with his best friend.  When Castiel looked at Dean, he imagined the two of them going out to a fancy restaurant together.  Dean would open the door for him, pull out his chair and tell jokes to make him comfortable.  They’d order different meals so they could steal bites off the other’s plate.  Dean would order wine for himself and sneak a glass to Castiel.  Their feet would tangle together under the table, their hands would find each other whenever they could.  If conversation died out, it wouldn’t be awkward.  And when Dean dropped him off at home afterward, he’d lean down and kiss him and there was _no way_ Castiel would turn away.

Shit.  He had a crush on his roommate (soulmate’s?) brother.

It took about five trips for them to fill up Dean’s car with all of Sam’s belongings (“Jesus Christ, Sammy, you bringing the whole library back home with you?”).  Sam and Gabriel were by the car, chatting about Gabriel’s training as a chef in Paris.

“That’s actually really cool.  Isn’t it hard for an American to get a spot at a Parisian culinary school?”  

“Why yes it is, Sam.  Yes it is.  You can imagine just how fucking fantastic I can cook.  I’d love to make dinner for you some time to show you-”

“Stop hitting on my brother!”  

“Dean.”  The look Sam shot his brother was scathing, and Castiel couldn’t help but chuckle.  “Mind going back to my room to see if there’s anything left?  I think we got everything, but just in case?”

“I’ll come with you,” Castiel said, hoping to get at least a few more moments with the older Winchester before they disappeared.  Dean looked like he wanted to protest, but he motioned for Castiel to lead the way.  

There wasn’t much left in their room other than Castiel’s boxes.  He looked around just in case Sam had in fact forgotten something (though he suspected he wanted his brother out of his hair before starting their days long road trip crammed into the same car), but found nothing.  

“Looks like it’s all packed.”

“Yeah?”  Dean actually sounded disappointed.  That might be wishful thinking on Castiel’s part, though.  “I guess this is it, then.  I mean, not forever obviously.  If you’re Sammy’s soulmate, I’m sure I’ll see you around in the future at Thanksgiving or something.”  Dean made a sour face and seemed to realize he was babbling.  “So uh… bye.”

“Goodbye Dean.”

Dean lingered in the doorway, tapping on the frame like he wanted to say more.  He thought better of it, apparently, because with his jaw resolutely locked, he nodded at Cas before disappearing.  An urge to follow pushed Castiel forward a few steps, but he resisted.  It was better this way, anyway.  

He’d half convinced himself of that when the door swung open on its hinges.  Castiel jumped in surprise, looking up to see Dean walking purposefully walking toward him.  The older boy cupped Castiel’s face in his hands before leaning in for a kiss.  Their lips met and Castiel sighed into it, melting into Dean’s touch.  A soft brush of tongue along the seam of his mouth and Castiel opened up.  He relished every second of that kiss, reveling in the taste and smell and feel of all things Dean.  The kiss went on and on but Castiel didn’t care, he could spend minutes, hours, his whole life kissing Dean Winchester and never getting tired of it.  

Dean broke away first, resting his forehead on Cas’ and taking a shuddering breath.  Cas wasn’t much better off; his legs trembled and he’d surely have collapsed by now if it weren’t for the arm Dean had moved around his waist at some point.  This was it.  He had no idea how he knew, but he _knew_.  Where there’d only ever been doubt with Sam, there was nothing but certainty.  He was going to fall in love with Dean.  Not right this minute or even today, but it was in his future.  

“I think you dummies had the wrong soulmates,” Dean laughed as he stole another kiss.  Cas followed his lips, whimpering when Dean wouldn’t give more than a quick peck.  “Sam told me you two weren’t uh… weren’t _into_ each other.  He was so worried, guess it never occurred to him he might have the wrong Novak.”

“Wait, what?” Castiel finally found the wherewithal to draw back.  He couldn’t bring himself to fully leave Dean’s embrace, but he needed some space.  “What are you saying.  Do you mean-?”

“I kinda went back downstairs and saw your brother making out with my brother against the hood of my car.  They seemed pretty uh… _into_ it.  I’d already _hoped_ it was you, but I didn’t wanna step on Sammy’s toes or anything.”  Dean pulled his sleeve up to expose his right wrist.  There, in neat block print was the name _Novak_.  Castiel immediately did the same, showing Dean the name _Winchester_ written in his own handwriting.  Dean smiled, tracing the letters and looking truly happy for the first time all day.  

“Looks like a matching set,” Dean said as he laced their fingers together.  “I like it.”

“Me, too.”  Feeling bold, Castiel brought their joined hands up to kiss Dean’s knuckles and marvel at how Dean’s eyes went dark with desire.  He briefly wondered if they had time to make out some more before his mind skidded to a halt.  “Wait…  So this whole time, you knew you and your brother had the same last name on your wrists?  What did you _think_ when Sam said he’d met a Novak?”

“That he’d met his soulmate, and that I should probably make an appearance at some point to meet the guy’s brother or sister or whatever.  I didn’t think you two doofs would not realize you weren’t soulmates with each other.”  Dean frowned.  “What’d _you_ think was going on?  What’d you think about Gabriel?”

Castiel very much wanted to kill his brother.  “I had no idea what name he had.  He’s my half-brother, he grew up with his mom.  I saw him every other Christmas at best, and we didn’t really discuss soulmates at all.  I suspect my _parents_ must have known, or why else would they have sent him to pick me up instead of coming themselves.  I feel like an idiot.”

“Whoa there,” Dean tsked.  “You can’t just go around calling my soulmate an idiot.  He’s just adorably naive about what soulmates feel like.”

“Apparently.”  Later on, he’d feel much more ridiculous about this whole thing.  Right now, he couldn’t quite get over how thrilled he was to meet his soulmate.  To be holding hands with him.  To have _kissed_ him-  “Oh dear.”  Castiel cringed as he remembered kissing Sam earlier that week.  “I can’t believe I kissed Sam.”

Dean choked for a second before doubling over in giggles.  “Oh my _god_ , you _kissed_ Sammy?  Sam’s been telling me how you two have, like, no sexual chemistry.  How fucking awful was that kiss?”

“It was the worst kiss in the history of soulmates.  Probably should have tipped us off that we _aren’t_ soulmates, but…”  He ended with a shrug.  

“I am going to give Sam such crap about that, by the way.”  Becoming suddenly serious, Dean asked, “Hey would you mind if me and Sammy tagged around with you and your brother for a bit?  Sam said you guys were hanging out in California before heading home?”

“We are, and you two should.  I have the feeling Gabriel and Sam would both be on board for that.”  

“Ugh,” Dean groaned.  “Now I gotta play chaperone for those two while trying to sneak in a million makeout sessions with you.  Not fair.”

Castiel bounced up to press a kiss to Dean’s nose.  “I’m sure I can make it worth your while.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **Bonus Scene:**  
>  Sam and Gabriel: *making out*  
> Gabriel: so on a scale of 1 to 10, how upset would you be if cas wasn’t actually your soulmate? cuz like, i don't think you're his type-  
> Sam: jfc does it look like i care right now, keep kissing me  
> Gabriel: fair enough


End file.
